Amalgamating process.



FIG I R. LUCKENBAGH.

AMALGAMATING PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED ooTw, 1911.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

R. LUCKENBACH. AMALGAMATING PROCESS.

APPLICATION FILED 00118, 1911,

Patented J an. 12, 1915.

2- SHEETS-SHEET 2.l

OOOOOOOOOOO O O O scri e in detail one thereof.

nanny, PENNSYLVANIA, Assisnon To :aUssELL rHeYEn, or

,rHILAnELrHrs PENNSYLVANIA.

BOYER LUCKENBACH, 0F

AMALGAMATING recense.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Jan. i2, i915.

Application led October 18, 1911,. Serial No. 655,334..

rates referred to Fis, H, iS a top or plan` View, a portion of the topv casing being iroko'ii away to Show the .interior construe;- on

M invention Irelates to the recovery 4of ama gamable metallic constituents from'ore, or other adm ixturo thereof, by moons of mercury, or a mercurial compound. The improved process is addressed particularly to insuring thorough and substantially'uniform diti'usion of the material undergoing treatment, so as to aord complete access of the amalgamating agentthereto; also to presenting said material to the amalgamat- 4mp; agent at a region where the maximum avidity of the latter exists; and also to sep.- arating and positively removing the gangue or other waste portions, with a minimum oi interference tothe amalganiatng action.

I will first describe the apparatus selected as a typical one adapted to the conduct of the process, which a paratus is shown as comprising'two simi ur units successive treatments, but it must be understood that the invention is not restricted to the use of such apparatus. As the two units are similar in internal construction and arrangement, it will be only necessary for the pu;- oses of the present specification, to de- Referringto the drawings, therespective units comprise closed tanks or receptacles 1, and 2, in this instance rectangular in eneral outline, and mounted Pen less 3, on 4, rospectively. The internal construction there of is illustrated in the sec ional view at the loft head portion of Fig. i, and the broken away portion of Fig: Awhere it will be that the tank ,1, 1s provided 'with a removable top or oever 5, and thatrho bottom sorride .6, taper@ from @1.1. our edoo tower.

chamber; i

arranged in series, so that the ore can be subiected to a. centrall aperture 7,- having a discharge pipe 8, and valve 9.

The inlet conduit 10, having a pumping device whose casing is conventionally indicated at 11 leads into the upper portion of the tank 1, by means ofthe bifurcated pipes' 12, and 13. v Between'said pipes there may be'conveniently located a receptacle 1G, for the admission of any reagent which it 'may be deemed desirable" to employ, in conjunction with the mercury or compound thereof. lSaid receptacle is cylindrical in form, having a conical bottornlas shown, with an aperture controlled by means of a valve 17, automatically retained in a closed position by means o a spring 18, surrounding the stein l9, and manually operable by o downward lrassure transmitted through said stem.

he receptacle 16, may conveniently be mounted by providin a screw thread upon the exterior of its bot om portiomengagng with an internal thread in the neck of an approximat'ely cylindrical chamber 20, remove ably secured to the top of the tank 1 and surrounding the opening 2 1, which registers with the aperture in the bottom of the A. downwardly depending casing 23, is mounted upon the under side of the top 5, of the .tank and extends across the same from side to side, there beinghowever an inter-space between the exterior `walls of said'casing and the walls of the tank at tlie endspf the latter. as indicated at 22, and 24', respectively.v IThe Abottom o f said casing 23;/is provided with a number of symmetiically` arranged apertures 25, from each of which depends a discharge tube 26, whose lower portion is enlarged, as shown at 27, and having a bottom` provided with a plurality of oriices'28, These enlarged lower ends of the discharge tubes project laterally to Some extent all around and above lthe actual regions of discharge, thus aiiording shields to protect the descending ore and the amalganiiited'material, aS. will be hereinafter described. A jet 30, extends into the end of the casing so as to communicate with the open space 22, said jet being connected with a pipe 31, for the admission of water or steam under pressure from 'any convenient source', (not shown in the drow.- ings).vv .Discharge pipes 33, and 34, lead rom orifices in the ton 5, of the oosma,

loo.

4 above the space .24. Said discharge pipes ,11,0

12, and 13, of the tank 1.

As` before stated, the internal construction of the tank 2, which constitutes the sec- .ond unitof the series, is similar to that just described and the only pointsnecessary to note lare that said tank 2, is'provided with top ldischarge pipes 37, and 38, respectively, which may lead either to the dump,

or, if desired, may constitutethe inlet. pipes of a third unit arranged 1n the similar serial relation to the second one.

In order to conduct my improvedproce'ss by means of the above apparatus, I proceed as follows :-The lower portion of the tanks 1, and 2, islled withy the liquid amalgamating reagent consisting ofv mercury, or a mercurial compound, to such a depth that the level of, the reagenty is vwell above the plane of the discharge .openings 28, and preferably coincident with the plane of the peripheral flanges formed by the upper surfaces of the enlargements 28, as indicated at '32.

The material to be treated is supplied in the form of a pulp comprising finely ground ore commingled with water, or an aqueous solution, and is pumped into the tank 1, under considerable pressure, through the inlet pipes 12, and 13. The pulp 1s' primarily discharged into the interior of the casing 23, where it tends to diffuse itself substantially throughout the whole thereof, and consequently is subdivided-into a number of streams, which descend through the tubes 26, and are again denitely subdivided into an increasednumber of smaller streams issuing through the orifices 28,v and discharging well beneath the surface of the amalgamating reagent. Thus the particles sought to be recovered are not only definitely diffused in a uniform manner throughout the body of the4 amalgamatin'g agent, but are introduced thereto considerably below the upper level thereof, and consequently at a region where said agent is relatively free from oxids, or other sub,- stances, which float upon the surface and Whose presence might tend to interfere with the amalgamating action. Furthermore, the descending streams of ore, as Well as the amalgamated particles, are effectually protected against entrainment by the current of floating gangue, which is forced through the apparatus, across the top surface of the amalgamating agent, such protection being afforded by the lateral projection of the enlarged lower ends of the tubes 26.

When an adjunetive reagent is employed, such for. instance, as a solvent of the metal sought to be recovered, or a material which may tend to enhance the avidity of the mercury itself,'su ch substances may conveniently be fed by means of the receptacle 16, and its controlling valve 19, into the body of the pulp stream before its subdivision, and such solvent, or other substance. will thus be diffused through the pulp. s the action of the mercury proceeds, the amalgnms of the precious metals, (which are `usually the ones sought to be recovered), tend to descend toward the bottom of the tank, while the gangue and impurities rise to the top and float upon'y the surface of the mercury, and when the interspace between the casing 23, and the tank is filled to overflowing bythe continued'admission of pulpthe floating portions are discharged throughthe pipes` 33,-and 34, into the next tank ofthe series, where the process just describedrecurs, and -nally the tailings orv 'yvz'iste .is

discharged to the dump.

If desired, the discharge and removal the floating yportions can be'expeditedtfby the admission of water or steam throu h the jet 30, as the lforced current there y created will tend to drive them throughjthe apparatus, more rapidly than would be the case if the action depended solely upon the current of enteringpulp, but in either case the particles which are heavy enough to lremain in the body of the mercury are not disturbed bv the passage of the superincumbent material.' I am of course aware, ythat amalgamating processes of various Ikinds have long been in use, and that it is not new to cause 'a stream of pulp to pass along, or through, a body of mercury, and therefore I do not claim broadly such a method of treatment. So far as I am aware however, my invention is,peculiar in the feature of extended and definite subdivision of the pulp streams, the positive submergence of said streams below the surface ofthe mercury, and the cona'definite and protected stratum and'hence without disturbance to the amalgamating actionand also in the further feature of employing, in conjunction/,with the characteristics just mentioned, a positive vehicle for carrying off' the'floatiiig portions, irrespective of the action 'of the'main feed.

I use the termv .ore, in myclaims, as comprehendin any admixture of amal-l gamable meta lic particles with non-amalgamable foreign material, whether such admixture be in its initial native condition, or be a residuum oprevious treatment, or otherwise. v

Having thus described my inventibn, I claim:

1. The hereinbefore described improvement in amalgamating processes, which consists in positively feedin 'ore pulp in a plurality of definitely divlded streams into a body of liquid amalgamating re-agent at points substantially below vthe surface thereof; retaining the amalgamated portions Within said liquid; permitting the unamaigarnated portions to separate and float upon the surface of said liquid; introducing an independent current of a Huid Vehicle along the surface of the amalgamating reagent; and driving said Heating portions ofi by they combined effects of the feed and of said independent vehicle.

2. The hereinbe'fore described improvenient in ainalgamating processes; which consists in positively feeding ore pulp in a plurality of definitely divided streams into a body of liquid anialgamating reagent, at points substantially below the surface thereof; retaining the amalgamated portion ivi-tirinaid liquid; permitting the unainalgarnated portions to separate and oat upon the surface of said liquid; introducing an independent current of a iuidvehicle along the surface of the arnalganiating reagent; and driving ofi' said floating portions in a definite and protected stratum by the combined eiieots of the feed, and of said independent vehicle, whereby entraininent of the amal garnated portions or ore is prevented.

ln testimony whereof, have hereunto signed my naine at Philadelphia; Pennsylvania; this sixteenth day of October 1911.

RGYER LUCKENBCH. iiiincsses JAMES H. BELL, i). L. iULLnnroN. 

